This invention relates to finishing of wood objects. More particularly, the invention relates to a product, and a method of its use, for finishing or refinishing wood floors or furniture.
Hardwood floors have been employed in quality housing and offices for more than 150 years. To improve the ability of the surface of the floor to withstand wear and tear and make it attractive in appearance, the wood is subjected to smoothing and finishing steps.
Wood finish coatings (referred to herein alternatively as a coating and a finish) are required to withstand a great deal of traffic and wear to protect the wood beneath. Common coatings are solvent and/or water based. Polyurethane and acrylic based coatings are the most common in the industry. One important characteristic of a floor finish is scratch and abrasion resistance. To improve such resistance, fillers or extenders have been included in finish compositions. One extender commonly used is aluminum oxide. This method, however, can lead to loss of clarity, curing problems and/or brittleness of the finished coating. A finish including aluminum oxide is often hard and can aid in abrasion resistance if formulated correctly. A primary drawback to the use of aluminum oxide as an extender is the extreme brittleness and milky loss of clarity of the finish.
It would be desirable to develop an extender that is capable, either alone or in combination with additional fillers and extenders, of improving the abrasion and wear resistance of a wood finish while maintaining the desired clarity of the finish and avoiding brittleness.